New Zealand Law Commission Releases Reports on Victims of Sexual Violence and on Protection of Sensitive Information

Part 1, A new Crown Civil Proceedings Act, recommends replacing the
Crown Proceedings Act 1950 with new legislation that enables people to seek effective legal redress when the
Crown has breached a legal obligation.

Part 2, National security information in proceedings, makes recommendations around how information that might pose a threat to
national security if released to the public should be dealt with in
court proceedings.

All judges who sit on sexual violence trials should receive special training

A specialist sexual violence court should be piloted and future
consideration should be given to whether proceedings in that court
should or should not be heard in front of a jury.

Government should put in place a legal and policy framework to
give effect to an alternative process that could operate entirely
separately of criminal trial.

The process would provide for a victim to complete a programme that
addresses the harm caused by the sexual violence and that facilitates
discussion with and reparation by the perpetrator, if appropriate.

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